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Product Description
From Library Journal
King Rat is named after the central character in Clavell's spellbinding masterpiece about the brutality of prison camp life in Japanese-occupied, World War II Malaya. The King, an American corporal, seeks to dominate both captives and captors by his courage, profound insight into human frailties, and pragmatic American business techniques in a class-ridden society where Japanese and British actions are bound by bankrupt codes of "honor." The novel, originally published in 1962, is made more engrossing by flashbacks to the home front. Reader David Chase superbly transfers Clavell's genius as a writer to this superb audio. His skill lies in communicating the author's uproarious black humor and in his fabulous timing and phraseology. Highly recommended.
-James Dudley, Westhampton Beach, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
-James Dudley, Westhampton Beach, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
“A magnificent novel.”—Washington Post
“A dramatic, utterly engrossing novel...harsh and brutal in its revelations...James Clavell is a spellbinding storyteller, a brilliant observer, a man who understands much and forgives much.” —New York Times
“Tension wound up to the snapping point.”—Christian Science Monitor
"Breathtaking....worth every word, every ounce, every penny."—Associated Press
“Tension wound up to the snapping point.”—Christian Science Monitor
“A dramatic, utterly engrossing novel...harsh and brutal in its revelations...James Clavell is a spellbinding storyteller, a brilliant observer, a man who understands much and forgives much.” –New York Times
“A dramatic, utterly engrossing novel...harsh and brutal in its revelations...James Clavell is a spellbinding storyteller, a brilliant observer, a man who understands much and forgives much.” —New York Times
“Tension wound up to the snapping point.”—Christian Science Monitor
"Breathtaking....worth every word, every ounce, every penny."—Associated Press
“Tension wound up to the snapping point.”—Christian Science Monitor
“A dramatic, utterly engrossing novel...harsh and brutal in its revelations...James Clavell is a spellbinding storyteller, a brilliant observer, a man who understands much and forgives much.” –New York Times
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
"I'm going to get that bloody bastard if I die in the attempt." Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
"I'm going to get that bloody bastard if I die in the attempt." Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great study of the human psyche,
By Jorge Barbarosa "the_bassist" (the back 9) - See all my reviews
This review is from: King Rat (Mass Market Paperback)
Circa 1962 Clavell astounds the reader with his insight to the human condition. From the beginning until the end, King Rat never ceases to surprise and evoke the dark humor concurrent withthe grim reality of terrible circumstances. I remember seeing this book in countless rucks during Viet Nam, read and re-read, taped together, dog eared and in heavily stressed condition then, passed along.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The black sheep of the saga,
By therosen "therosen" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: King Rat (Mass Market Paperback)
King Rat has many unique aspects amongst the other novels in the Asian saga:- It was written first, with less connections to the rest of the series. - It's the shortest of the lot. - It's the most autobiographical, as Clavell spent time in that same prison. - There is the least cross-cultural interaction. Having said all of this, this WWII POW survival story is a compelling study of what people do to survive. In a sense, we all become rats, with one as king. Much of the book studies the manipulations between folks vying for power. There are the Americans trying to enforce prison standards. There are people living off of rank to hold a grasp of dignity. And then there is the King of the title, who finds a way to transcend above the problems, living off the black market and a network of informants. We are introduced to the character that most closely resembles Clavell in this novel too. Though he reappears in Noble House, we first catch the author as the King's sidekick, a downed soldier who has to struggle with where his loyalties are. I can not recommend the series enough. Whether you go through it chronologically as written, or in the order of time periods written about, you'll find this a deep addition to the series.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A multilayered masterpiece,
By
This review is from: King Rat (Mass Market Paperback)
A world within the world provides a laboratory for human behaviour utilized by James Clavell in this book to illustrate the clash of cultures, American, British, Australian, Japanese, and Malayan. The King is an American buying and selling, constantly looking for a profit, a way to get ahead in a world where the number one priority if individual survival. Peter Marlowe, a British air force officer, attracts the interest of the King when the latter discovers that Peter speaks the local dialect and thus, could be very useful for the purpose of trading with the natives. For Peter, their relationship develops into a friendship however the King maintains the belief that there are business partners and when that partnership is no longer of benefit to both, then all interactions between the two become irrelevant. Peter attracts the ire of a superior officer, Robin Grey, who dislikes his association with the King and his connections to a higher class from England. Robin hates the King's illegal trading which is open to anyone, no matter their origin of birth yet, at the same time, resents the rigid class structure that limits his ambitions for promotion in the British armed forces. Robin nearly dies of starvation while Peter is able to save his own life and one of his friends through his association with the King. The horrid conditions of the Japanese internment camp are made a reality by the reaction of rescuing troops at the end of the book. King Rat is a multilayered book that can be read and enjoyed by all ages.
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